About Us

Welcome to Big Sunday.

Our mission is to build community through community service. Our volunteers come from all kinds of neighborhoods, and work in all sorts of neighborhoods, too. The idea is that everyone has some way that they can help somebody else.

Our biggest event each year is Big Sunday Weekend—always in the spring, usually in late April or early May. That’s when thousands of people from Southern California, of all ages and all backgrounds, work together at hundreds of nonprofits, schools and other agencies that need their help. Last year on Big Sunday Weekend, 50,000 volunteers turned out—some as individuals, others with their families, still others as part of a class, church, synagogue, mosque, business or club—to lend a hand at more than 500 different projects from San Diego to Solvang, making Big Sunday Weekend one of the largest regional community service events in America.

On Big Sunday Weekend there are opportunities for every passion, talent, skill and age. Projects are scheduled throughout the weekend, and can last anywhere from one hour to two full days. Big Sunday Weekend also includes special events such as art shows, sports days, yard sales and blood drives. Plus, last year on Big Sunday Weekend, we gave away more than 85 truckloads of clothes, books, food, furniture, musical instruments, luggage, toys and other items.

For many people, Big Sunday Weekend is just the beginning of an involvement that continues throughout the year. Many of our volunteers build lasting relationships with the nonprofits they first help on Big Sunday Weekend. All year long—and for years to come—they continue to volunteer, mentor, serve on boards and contribute goods, services and money to support these worthy causes.

Meanwhile, other good-hearted people are always calling us looking for ways to give back and help out. And our nonprofit partners are often looking for a little extra assistance. Now we connect the two.

Each November we distribute the Annual Big Sunday Holiday Volunteering and Giving Opportunities List. Last year, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, our volunteers used our list to find ways to help more than 75 organizations, collecting toiletries, blankets, clothing, school and art supplies; buying Christmas presents for needy children, teenagers and adults; “playing Santa;” feeding the hungry at Thanksgiving and Christmas; singing at nursing homes during Hanukkah; assembling holiday gift baskets for poor families; preparing care packages for soldiers overseas; and donating much-needed dry and canned goods to local food pantries facing dire shortages.

We’ve also created the Big Sunday Community Calendar, which links our incredible volunteer network with social-sector organizations year-round. The calendar works like a community bulletin board. It features Big Sunday happenings, as well as our nonprofit partners’ events, needs and volunteer opportunities. We post toy, food and clothing drives, pet adoption days and fundraisers. We highlight special celebrations, like the opening of a new day care center or park dedication. And if our nonprofits need a helping hand to serve food to the hungry, pack gift boxes for our troops or read to kids in schools, we’ll tell you about that too.

By the way, Big Sunday is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Big Sunday projects have no religious or political agenda, and there is never any charge for volunteers to participate. Big Sunday is completely underwritten by cash and in-kind donations. 

Our motto is everyone helps, everyone wins.

Thank you for visiting our website. If you’re looking for a way to pitch in, help out, or give back, let us know, we’ll be happy to put you to work!